Taylor Swift is shaking up the Super Bowl with her relationship with Travis Kelce. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Taylor Swift “mixes up” the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event in America almost every year, but this time it’s going to be an even bigger deal thanks to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
The superstar couple has been making headlines throughout the NFL season since their relationship went public. Front Office Sports (FOS) reported on Jan. 28 that Swift generated equivalent brand value of $331.5 million for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, a figure that hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
As the Super Bowl approaches, Swift’s time in the spotlight creates a rare situation where the dynamics off the field are just as intriguing as those on the field.
An unexpected opportunity
The Super Bowl is just as grand an event as it is in American sports. Tickets for this year’s game, hosted in the national gambling capital of Las Vegas, Nevada, cost an average of $9,804 on TickPick, a 69% increase over last year’s average of $5,795.
Accordingly, 30-second television ads during Super Bowl LVII last February cost an average of $7 million Forbes. The general expectation is that this year’s game will be even more expensive for interested companies.
Swift’s relentless influence might be enough
Despite the uptick, Swift’s relentless influence may be enough for companies normally outside the Super Bowl to bite the bullet.
Accordingly FOSAt least three health and beauty brands — l’Oreal’s NYX Professional Makeup, elf Cosmetics and Dove — reportedly purchased advertising space during Super Bowl LVIII. The first two have never been featured in a Super Bowl commercial before, while the third took an 18-year hiatus between appearances.
While this is pure speculation, many believe these companies’ involvement is based on the 14-time Grammy Award winner’s relationship with Kelce and, suddenly, the NFL.
“Honestly, I think it’s the best bridge [advertisers] “This applies to women of all ages – and to the men who shop with them,” said global trendsetter Marian Salzman.
CBS says it sold most of its commercials before the end of November, although some may have been held back and later sold at a higher price.
Ernest Lipinacci, formerly of Nike and ESPN, said cosmetics companies may have taken a risk by waiting for Kelce and the Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five seasons before clinching their spot.
“My theory is that some smart people said, ‘You know what? Let’s get some advertising time. The audience is big enough anyway. And if Kansas City gets there, we’re golden,” Lupinacci said.
Bettors are flocking to the Chiefs
Whichever companies end up securing one of the limited advertising spots will likely be lucky. The AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens (in non-prime time at 3:00 p.m. ET) averaged 55.47 million live concurrent viewers, a record for any AFC Championship game.
NBC also attributed the NFL’s female audience growth of an estimated two million viewers to Swift’s relationship with Kelce during a game between the Chiefs and New York Jets in Week 4.
There’s a good chance that at least some of these bets were placed by Swifties
While women are still in the minority of sports bettors compared to men, there is undeniable public support for the Chiefs to win the big game against the Niners, and there’s a good chance that at least some of those bets were placed by Swifties.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook betting splits, 70% of the spread bets and 76% of the spread money are on the Chiefs in the final game of the 2024 NFL Playoffs.
VSiN found similar results, showing that 70% of the bets and 65% of the money were on the Chiefs to cover the spread, while 80% of the bets and 70% of the money were on the Kansas City moneyline.
Despite the unrelenting support of the betting public, oddsmakers have mostly kept the betting lines at 49ers -2. Several big “sharp” bets have been placed on the Niners, although chances are most six- and seven-figure bets will come in the final days and hours before kickoff.
Sportsbooks are capitalizing on Swift’s popularity by offering bets centered around her and her relationship with Kelce. DraftKings has a special “For the Swifties” menu that includes several bets related to her song names, while other sportsbooks offer a variety of side bets with her.
